2014 AUDI A6 check engine light

232 Check ing and filling
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig . 191 Eng ine compartment: cover on the coolant
expa nsion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lwa ys re ad and h eed a ll WA RN­
INGS o .A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 224 .
., Park your vehicle on a level surface.
., Switch
off the ignit io n.
., Read the eng ine coolant level from the cool ­
ant expans ion tank
o fig . 191, o page 226,
fig. 188. With a cold eng ine, the coolant
level should be between the "min" and
"max" markings. When the engine is warm,
the leve l may be slightly above the "max"
marking.
The location of the coolant exp ans ion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
o page 226.
To obtain an accurate read ing, the engine
must be switched
off.
The expans ion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor .
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System
o page 17 will
illum inate unt il you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level senso r, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool- ing system shou
ld be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dea ler . It is not
enough mere ly to add coolant .
In a
sea le d system, losses can occur on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a resu lt of overheating.
A WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot . Red uce the risk of scald­
i ng from hot coolant by fo llow ing these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping flu id and steam by covering the
cap with a large, th ick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise d irect ion while ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
or hot engine parts . Under certa in cond i­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­
ant can catch fire.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your veh icle's engine coolant . Add­
i ng radiator repa ir fluid may adverse ly af­
fe ct the funct io n and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant .
Befo re you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment ,
alway s re ad and h eed all WARN­
IN GS o .A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 224.
., Tu rn
off the engi ne.
., Let the eng ine cool down.

~ Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 232, fig . 191 and ca refull y
twist the cap counter-clockwise ¢ ,A.
~ Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
¢page 231, Coolant.
~ Twist the cap on again tightly .
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 231, Coolant .
We recommend using on ly coolant addi-
tive
Gl2++, Gl3 or in an emergency G l2+ . Do
not use a different add itive. In an emergency
use plain water unti l you can get the correct
addit ive and ca n restore the correct ratio. This
should be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant, then you should add co ld a ntifree ze
and cold water only when the eng ine is co ld.
A lways use
new engine coolant when ref illing.
D o no t fill coolan t above the "M AX " mar k. Ex­
cess coolan t will be forced ou t th rough the
p ress ure re li ef va lve i n the cap when the en ­
gin e becomes hot .
&_ WARNING
- The coo ling system is under press ure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
sca ld ing from hot coolant by f ollowing
these steps .
-Tu rn off the engine and allow i tto cool
down.
- P rote ct your f ace, han ds an d ar ms from
escaping f lu id and ste am by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tu rn the ca p slowly and very ca re fully
in a counte r-clockwise direct ion wh ile
ap plying light, downwa rd p ress ure on
the top of the cap.
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys ­
tem or hot engine parts . Under certa in
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
g ine coolant can catc h fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
t ifreeze in its or iginal conta iner and well
o ut of the reac h of c hildren .
Checkin g and fillin g 233
-If you dra in the coo lant, it m ust be
caught and safely stored in a pr oper con ­
tainer clearly marked "poison".
([) Note
-Coo lant poll utes the environment a nd
co uld cause an engine fi re . Excess cool -
ant will be forced out th ro ugh the pres­
sure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot .
- If, in an eme rgency, on ly wate r can be
added, the co rrect ratio between water
and antifreeze ¢
page 231 must be re­
s tored as soon as poss ible.
@) For the sake of the environment
Drained coola nt sho uld not be reused. A l­
ways d ispose of used coolant while observ­
i ng all env iro nmental regula tions .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself .
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and othe r vehicle ope rat ing cond it io ns.
After you switch the engine off, the aux iliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 m inutes
- even w ith the ignition off . It can even switch
o n aga in later by itself¢.& , if
- the temperature of the engine coo lant r ises
due to the heat build- up from the engine in
the engi ne compa rtment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlig ht.
&_ WARNING
- To reduce the risk of perso nal in jury nev­
er touch the rad iator fan .
- The a uxiliary electric fan is temperat ure
controlled a nd can switch on suddenly
e ven when the engine is not ru nning.
- The a uxiliary radiator fa n sw itches on a u­
tomatically wh en the engine coo lant
reaches a certa in tem pera tu re and w ill ..,
•
•

234 Checking and filling
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 192 Engine compartment : cove r on the brake fl uid
reservo ir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ~ .&. in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 224.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir~
fig. 192 , ~ page 226,
fig.
188. The brake fluid leve l must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings .
The location of the brake flu id reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustrat ion
~ page 226.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . Th is is not cause for alarm.
I f the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
lo w the "MIN" mark, the brake wa rning/indi­
cator light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on~
page 15. Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The comp lete
brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
fied facility and the ca use corrected. If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indicator light w ill illuminate . Contact an au ­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake fluid will also decrease considerably and
decrease braking pe rformance .
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FM VSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be diff icult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fluid and the know-how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SA E
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake fluid. The correct type of
brake flui d is also ind icated on the
brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can seriously affect the effi­
c ie ncy of the brakes as well as your
safety. This could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .

236 Check ing and filling
&
Batt ery aci d c ont ain s s ulfuric acid .
A lw ays wear gloves and eye protec-
ti on.
@
No
- spark s
- fl ame s
· sm okin g.
~
When a b atte ry is ch ar ged , it p rodu -
c es hydr oge n gas wh ich i s ex plosi ve
and co uld cause pe rso nal injur y.
®
Alway s keep the b att ery well out of
re ach of children.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the r isk of
injury, acc ident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead part icles get on
your sk in or cloth ing . Sh ield your eyes .
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contai ns sulfur ic acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because ac id
could leak out of the vent ilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your sk in, immediately rinse with
cold water for severa l m inutes and get
medical attention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately .
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cab les.
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
wh ich could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury. -
When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negat ive ground ca­
ble.
- Before performing any work on the e lec­
trica l system, switch off the engine and
ignit ion as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected .
If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to swi tc h off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you wi ll set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, f irst
d isconnect the negat ive cab le and then
the posit ive c ab le.
- Before reconnecting the batte ry, ma ke
sure all e lectr ica l consumers are sw itch­
ed off. Re connect the pos it ive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter ­
change the cables - this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery. It could exp lode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced . A dis­
charged battery can freeze over at 32
°F
(0 oc).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the s ide of the bat­
tery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways rep lace a damaged battery.
A WARNING
Ca lifornia Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems . Wash hands after han-
dling.
~

238 Check ing and filling
- Char ge the bat tery i n a we ll ven tilated
area. Kee p away from open flame or elec­
trical spa rk. Do n ot smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated b y the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables
wh ile the charger is operating.
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent technicia n w ith the proper equ ip­
ment.
- Battery acid that may spill during charg­ ing should be washed off wit h a solution
of warm water and baking soda to neu­
t rali ze the acid.
(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will se riously dam­
age sensitive elect ronic components, such
as control units, relays, rad io, etc., as we ll
as t he battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
c ations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
Intell igent energy management in your veh i­
cle is respons ible for d istributing the e lectr i­
cal energy throughou t your vehicle
qpage 199. The intel ligen t energy manage­
ment system w ill keep the engine battery
charged better than vehicles without th is sys­
tem. To make sure the additional electrical en­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and ma nu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations a re listed on the battery ho using. Yo ur
author ized de aler must code the b attery in
the energy management system to enable you
to use the energy management fu nctions cor­
rectly after replacing the battery. T
he new battery must have the same capacity,
vo ltage ( 12-volts), amperage, construction
and plug sea ling.
When ins tall ing t he battery, make su re the ig­
nition and a ll elect rical consume rs are switch ­
ed off.
(D Note
M ake sure the ven tilat ion hose on the side
of the ba ttery is connecte d, otherwise
fumes or batte ry acid can lea k out .
- Veh icles with the Start-S top-System * are
equip ped with a spec ial cycle-proof AGM
battery . Install ing a d iffe rent type of
battery can cause problems in the vehi­
cle e lectr ica l system. Whe n replac ing the
vehicle battery, always install one w ith
the same specifications as the origi na l
battery.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recomme nd your author­
i zed Audi dealer change the battery fo r
you. Batteri es contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must a lways be di spo sed o f prop­
erly in comp liance wi th all envi ronmental
regulations. Disposing of vehi cle batter ies
imprope rly is very dange rous to the envi­
r onment.
Windshield/headlight
washer container
F ig . 1 94 Engine compartment: cover on the windshield
a n d headlight * was her fl ui d reservo ir
Ill>

264 What do I do now?
&_ WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if yo u do n ot fol­
low t hese safety precautions:
- If you have a flat t ire, move a safe dis­
tance
off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use other warning dev ices to alert other mo­
torists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traff ic.
- T o help p revent the veh icle from mov ing
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
ja ck, always fully set the parking b rake
and bloc k the whee l diagona lly opposite
the whee l being changed. When one
front whee l is lifted off the gro und, plac­
ing the Automat ic Transmiss ion in P
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced t ire i n the luggage com­
partment
c> page 134.
Before chang ing the wheel, yo u m ust acti­
vate the jacking mode, so that the auto­ mat ic cont rols for the Adaptive Air S us­
pens ion* do not make it more difficult to
lift the vehicle with the jack
c> page 266.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow these­
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order .
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode*
~page 266.
-
2. Remove the decorative wheel cov er* . For
mo re details see also
c> page 265, Deco­
rative wheel covers
or c> page 265,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3 . L oosen the wheel bolt s c> page 265.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and alig n the jack below that point
c> page 266 .
5.
Raise the car with the jack c> page 266.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then insta ll
the s pare c>page 267.
7. Tighten all whee l bolts lightly.
8 . Lower the vehicle with the jack .
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and firmly
t igh ten al l w heel bo lts c> page 265.
10. Replace the decora tive wh eel co ver*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode * in the
MMI:
I CARI f u nction button > (Car )* sys­
tems
control button > Se rvicing & chec ks
> A ir susp .: jac k mode > Off .
The vehicle jack mode * switches off automati­
ca lly at speeds above
6 mph (1 0 km/h) .
&_ WARNING ,.__
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
i nformat ion
c> &. in Raising the vehicle on
page 266
and c> page 268.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the
doing the following.
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*
and the rep laced tire in the luggage com­
partment
c> page 134.
.,. Check the tire pressu re on the spare whee l
immed iate ly after mounting it .
.,. As soon as poss ible, have the
tight ening
torques
on all whee l bolts checked with a
t o rque wrenc h. The co rrect tighte ning tor ­
que is 90 ft lb (120 Nm).
.,. Have the fla t tire
replaced as soon as possi­
b le.
(D Tips
- If you not ice th at the wheel bo lts a re
co rroded and difficult to turn while
changing a tire, they should be rep laced
before you check the tightening torque.
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked .
ll-

2 7 4 Emergency situations
Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emer­
gency crews and working personnel who
have the necessary tools and equipment to
perform these ope rations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
Q;) Note
Vehicles w ith an automatic transmission
cannot be started by pus hing o r tow ing.
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi­
cle.
If the engine should fail to start because of a
discharged or weak battery, the battery can be
connected to the battery of
another veh icle,
using a
pair of jumpe r cables to start the en­
g ine .
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently large
cross section to carry the starter current safe­
ly. Refer to the manufacturer's specif ications.
Use only jumper cables with
insulated termi­
na l clamps which are distinctly marked:
plus(+) cable in most cases colored red
minu s(-) cable
in most cases colored black .
A WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas.
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal
inju ry. Follow the instructions below for
safe handling of your veh icle's battery.
- Always shield you r eyes and avoid lean­
ing over the battery whenever possible.
- A discharged battery can freeze at tem­
peratures just be low 32 °F (0 °C). Before connecting a
jumper cable, you must
thaw the frozen battery complete ly, oth­
erwise it could explode.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin . Flush any contacted area with
water immediately .
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batteries generate explosive gas­
es. Keep sparks, flame and lighted ciga­
rettes away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a low acid level in the battery.
- The vo ltage of the booster battery must
also have a 12-volt rating. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged bat­
tery . Use of batteries of d ifferent voltage
or substantially different "Ah" rating
may cause an exp losion and personal in­
jury.
- Never charge a frozen batte ry. Gas trap­
ped in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has
been frozen. The battery case may have
be weakened.
- Use of batter ies of different voltage or
substantially different capacity (Ah) rat­
ing may cause an exp losion and injury.
The capacity (Ah) of the booster battery
should not be lower than that of the dis ­
charged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS¢
page 224.
(D Note
- App lying a higher voltage booster bat­
tery will cause expensive damage to sen­
sitive electronic components, such as
contro l units, relays, radio, etc .
- Th ere must be no electrical contact be­
tween the vehicles as otherwise current cou ld already start to f low as soon as the
positive(+) terminals are connected. .,.

29 0 Index
Changing engine oil
Check ing 230
E ng ine coolan t leve l ....... .... .... . 23 2
T ire pre ssure .......... .... ... .. .. . 24 6
C hi ld restra ints
Danger of us ing child restra ints in the
front s eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Where can I get add it ional information
about child restra ints and thei r use? . . 19 1
Ch ild restra int system anchors ... .. .. . 187
C hild safety .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 173
Convertible locking retractor .... .. ... 184
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 7
Important things to know when dr iving
with chi ldren ............. ... .. ... 173
Tether anchors ................ .... 190
Tether straps ..................... 190
C hi ld safety lock
Rear doors ... ........... .... .... .. 40
C hild safety seats ....... ... .. .. .... . 179
Booster seats .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 182
Convertible child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Convertible locking retractor . . . . . . . . . 184
H ow do I properly install a child safety
seat in my vehicle? ............. .... 177
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
I nstall ing .. ................ ... ... 184
I nstall ing a chi ld res traint using the
L A T C H sys tem ............ .. .. .... . 189
L A T CH sys tem .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 189
Lower ancho rages ..... ... .. .. .... . 188
M ounting and releasing the anchorage
hook .. .. .. ............. .. .. .. ... 189
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Unused safety belts on the rear seat . . 179
Cigarette lig hte r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
C lean ing .......................... 210
Climate control
A ir vents ..... ........... .. .. .... .. 69
Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Climate control system Supp lementary heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Climate control (four-zone)
Opera tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Climate control (three -zone)
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Clock .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Closing Slid ing/tilting s unroof .......... .... . 41
Co ld tire inflation pressure ........ .... 244
Coming home ..... .. ... ..... ... .. .. . 45
Compact spa re tire ................. . 262
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Compliance . .. .. .. ............. .. .. 286
Consumer Information . . . . . . . . . . 136, 283
Consumption (fuel) . .. .. ..... ... .. .. . 25
Contacting NHTSA ................. . 136
Controls Cleaning ...... .. ............. .... 212
Convenience key ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. . 36
Starting the engine .. .. ..... ... .. .. . 74
Stopping the engine (START ENGINE
STOP b utton) ...................... 75
Switching the ignition on ............ 74
Unlocking and locking vehicle .. ..... .. 36
Co nvertib le child safety seats ... .. .. .. 180
Co nvertib le locking retractor
A ctivat ing . .. .. .. .. ... ........ .. .. 186
Deact ivat ing ..... ............. .... 186
U sing to secure a child sa fety seat 1B4, 18 6
Coolant
r e fer to E ng ine coolant .......... ... 231
Cooling mode (automat ic climate control) 70
Cooling mode (cl imate control) . . . . . . . . . 68
Cruise cont ro l
Changi ng speed .. ................ .. 83
Presett ing you r speed .......... .. .. . 83
Swi tching off .. .. ............. .. ... 83
Swi tch ing on ..... ............... .. . 82
Warning/indicator lights ..... ... .. .. . 24
( u pholder .......................... 59
C u rve light ......................... 100
Cylinder on demand System ........... 27
D
Data recorde r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Date d isp lay .... .. ... .......... .... . 28
Daytime runn ing lights . ... .... ... .. .. . 43
Declarat io n of compliance
Adaptive c ruise control ............. 286
Audi s ide ass ist .. ... .......... .... 286
Cell phone pack age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 6